Queenless hive

[csalt]

I have a queenless hive with about a grapefruit size of workers, no brood just some pollen and a little honey. No frames are drawn out. Last week i bought a five frame nuc and was wondering if i should put one of the frames with brood and eggs in the queenless hive. Would this hurt my nuc hive and would the queenless hive raise a queen with the brood frame. Thanks. Oh i have been feeding both hives and i have some honey bee healthy on the way.

[troutstalker2]

  I would just combine the two and make a split later after the have built up. That small amount of bees with no queen is not a good situation. Robbing the nuc of brood will only weeken the nuc I would think. One stronger hive is better then 2 iffy ones. That's my 2 cents for what its worth.

David

[csalt]

yeah, that sounds like the best option. The weak hive are feral bees and the nuc are italians, should i separate with newspaper for a few days or just drop them on in?

[Kathyp]

one sheet of newspaper with a few small slits in it.  an upper entrance.  they'll mix quickly.  you can pull the newspaper out in a couple of days.

[rast]

 I'd use the newspaper, you will have less fighting and fewer dead bees.

[csalt]

Thanks for the replies, i'll do that and get another nuc for the other hive.

[golddust-twins]

We have had a cold wet winter and spring so far.  I wound up with a situation just like csalt.  Am combining right now. 

Corinne

[csalt]

Well i opened the hive today and what do you know, I found uncapped brood! Prior to this i never found the queen or queen cells and I checked once a week. I guess they didn't want to move. Is it possible I have a laying worker, the brood pattern looked pretty good for what little there was.

[Kathyp]

if the hive got really small, she may have been waiting for warmer weather.  watch the brood.  if it's all drone, you have laying workers.  if it's not, just watch to see if they can catch up.  that small a bunch of bees will have a hard time making it even if they do have a queen.

[csalt]

Well I checked the hive today, still no queen sighted but plenty of eggs. The eggs were in the center if the combs so i'm thinking maybe a queen is laying them. Also i checked the hive without a veil and got stung a couple times on my face. I guess i had to learn the hard way. I know i read it on here plenty of times so it serves me right but never again.

[enchplant]

I found the same thing. Bees that you could work just fine with no veil when they were a swarm, but as soon as they have some real estate, stores or young to look after then they try to sting the face off you!